Weighted muscle exerciser

ABSTRACT

An exercising apparatus comprising a disc-shaped hollow body having a central axis. A centrifugal weight moves on a circular path around the central axis of the disc-shaped hollow body within an edge-grasp bead.

United States Patent 1191 Klose [4 1 Aug. 26, 1975 WEIGHTED MUSCLE EXERCISER [75] Inventor: Odo Klose, Wuppertal, Germany [73] Assignee: Mega productu.

Verpackungsentwicklung Marketing Gmbl-l & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Wuppertal, Germany [22] Filed: May 14, 1974 [21] Appl. N0.: 469,893

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 18, 1973 Germany 2325211 [52] US. Cl 272/57 R; 272/84 [51] Int. Cl A63b 23/02 [58] Field of Search 128/34-37;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 850,938 4/1907 Kellogg 272/84 1,058,786 4/1913 Newkirk et a1. 272/84 2,198,872 4/1940 Hcgstrom 128/36 3,482,835 12/1969 Dean 272/84 3,617,056 11/1971 Herbold 272/84 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 629,735 8/1927 France 272/84 Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner.loseph R. Taylor Attorney, Agent, or FirmErnest G. Montague; Karl F. Ross; Herbert Dubno 5 7 ABSTRACT An exercising apparatus comprising a disc-shaped hollow body having a central axis. A centrifugal weight moves on a circular path around the central axis of the disc-shaped hollow body within an edge-grasp head.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures WEIGHTED MUSCLE EXERCISER The present invention relates to an exerciser having a flywheel weight which travels around a central axis of a disc-shaped body on a circular path.

Exercisers for proper muscular training or for the general maintenance of physical health are already known in large number. These devices frequently are large. Ordinarily the desired effect is to be obtained by stretching spring elements which can be added as desired. For exercise with such apparatus, for instance expanders, relatively large spaces are generally required.

While, an exerciser having a centrifugal weight traveling around a central axis of a disc-shaped body on a circular path is also known, this exerciser, which is popularly referred to as a dumbbell, has two discs provided with such weights. These weights consist of an accumulation of material of the wheelshaped discs on a portion of the edge. The weights which in accordance with a variant are also detachable are joined by a connecting rod on which a sleeve is provided as dumbbell grip. The fastening of the flywheel weights serves to avoid a contraweight which may possibly occur in the case of dumbbells of this type. This exerciser is disadvantageous essentially from two points of view: first of all, the center of gravity of the load produced takes place in the center of the apparatus and is therefore considered less effective; secondly, the apparatus cannot be grasped with both hands. Furthermore, the grasping hand may directly encounter the rotating bodies. The free rotation entails a considerable danger of injury. There is not only the danger that the inner surfaces of the disc-shaped body will scrape along the operating hand, but also the danger of direct contact with the body by the shaft, for instance when the dumbbells are swung freely in the vicinity of the body.

The object of the present invention is to create an exerciser which is simple to manufacture from a technical standpoint and is more advantageous to use and which produces an exercise-effect of loading of the muscles as a result of an association between the grasping hand and the path of the flywheel weights which favors exercise.

This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by providing that the flywheel or centrifugal weight rotates within the inside of an edge-grasping bead of a disc-shaped hollow body.

According to a feature of the invention, the flywheel weight is a curved edge bead of a disc sector which tapers down towards the central supporting shaft.

One advantageous feature of the invention is furthermore that the supporting shaft of the centrifugal weight represents the element connecting two half shells which form the hollow body or housing of the disk.

It is furthermore favorable in accordance with the inthe half shells are connected with each other by means of a hook-type snap fastener in the region of the edges.

Finally, according to the invention, the ends of the supporting shaft extend into pot-shaped bearing shells of the half shells and radially extending ribs protrude from the hollow wall surrounding said bearing shells.

The resulting body toughening apparatus provides effective exercise, is easy to manufacture from a technical standpoint and is advantageous in use. The hollow body forms a housing to protect against contact between the user and the weight and is shaped at its edge side at the same time as a grasping handle. The exerciser is in this way extremely handy and necessarily brings about a clamping grasp in the outer region of the disc-shaped body; the peripheral transfer of the load specifically is more effective than a transfer which takes place in the quietest zone as in the known embodiments. A heavy flywheel weight can be incorporated. Since the holding handle lies in the plane of flight of the weight, no tilting forces which distort the position of the apparatus are produced. An edge grasp bead favorably affords a holding grip on all sides so that; the apparatus need not be brought first into a position proper for holding and a holding position is immediately reliablyobtained. The centrifugal action of the flywheel weight which acts in practice in different directions of the apparatus guided in planetary form in space furthermore requires a high amount of concentration in order to maintain the rotation of the flywheel weight. The operator thus also trained in rhythm. By different positions of the body during the exercise, it is possible with complete freedom from danger to have differently selected muscular parts of the torso and of the arms respond, in which connection, particularly as a result of one-arm use, which requires particular concentration, shoulders and back muscles are strengthened. Another advantage of the device is that large physical forces are not required for the exercises, but rather the strengthening of the body is effected without any great expenditure of force and solely by the suitable alternation of the contraction of the muscle and the following loosening thereof. Thus the exerciser can be used, for instance, to rebuild the muscles if, for instance, after an accident, a general weakness of the body has set in due to a long period of inability to use the arms or limbs or due to illness. Particularly for general physical training, it is favorable that a small exercise space be suitable for the use of the exerciser. The small dimensions make it possible in this connection even to take the apparatus along on trips, for instance, without great difficulty. In particular, an automobile driver can benefit from the muscleloosening action of the device. It has beq found advantageous that the exerciser has smooth outer surfaces and that the rotating flywheel weight is protected so as not to require any maintenance. Thus the user can never come into contact with the rotating part of the apparatus or injure himself even when exercising. The apparatus is extremely handy and can be grasped with one or both hands over the entire region of the disc body, it being possible easily to take up the centrifugal force without the apparatus possibly sliding out of ones hands. The flywheel weight, due to its sector-shaped configuration, has a favorable weight position, since the outermost region of the sector disc has by far the greatest size as compared with the other sections. Thus a large lever arm is obtained for the action of the force, and this necessarily results in the stressing of the muscles even if the flywheel weight is not heavy. The greater mass of the curved edge bead can best lie within the annular space of the handle bead. Thus the centrifugal forces act in the outermost edge section of the exerciser and optimally require a holding force which acts in opposition to the centrifugal force. The flywheel weight is so arranged on the supporting shaft that it is freely rotatable in the disc body and does not come into contact with the half shells. The apparatus thus operates noiselessly. For easier movement, it is possible to reduce the frictional forces by providing a ball bearing. The assembling of the apparatus is also extremely simple, either with the use of a central screw connection or the snap fastener on the edge.

Further advantages and details of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to two illustrative embodiments shown in the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the exerciser in accordance with a first embodiment, partially broken away,

FIG. 2 is a section along the line lI--II of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows the exerciser in accordance with the second embodiment, again in top view,

FlG. 4 is a section along the line IVIV of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged portion of the edge joint.

The disc-shaped exerciser l is formed of two discshaped half shells 2, 2'. The central, flat section 3 of the disc is continued towards the edge where it forms a grasping bead 4.

Within the exerciser 1 there is arranged a sectorshaped flywheel weight 5 which has its pivot shaft 6 rotatably supported in the transverse central axis x--x of the exerciser 1 in bore holes 7, 7'. The flywheel weight 5 is shaped as a structural part which continues outwards to form a curved edge bead 5'. The thickened edge bead 5 lies within the handle bead 4 forming an annular space. The disc 5" which connects edge bead and supporting shaft of the flywheel weight 5 is tapered down towards the supporting shaft 6. The supporting shaft 6 is hollow and is traversed by a fastening screw 8 which clamps the half shells 2, 2. By rhythmical movement of the exerciser l in its plane, the flywheel weight 5 is placed in rotation, producing thereby a greater or lesser centrifugal force, depending upon the speed of the rotation.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, instead of the central screw connection explained above, a snap fastening is provided on the edge. The edges of the shells, viewed in cross section, have an S-shaped closure joint (see FIG. 5). The thickened edge ends which are profiled approximately in the shape of a club move proportionally away with spring elasticity upon the producing of the snap fastening, and then engage in each other upon the application of a restoring force so as to assure a tight application of the two half shells 2, 2' against each other.

The supporting shaft 6' is in this case merely loosely inserted in the bearing shells 9 of harder material. The latter lie in a hollow in the half shells 2, 2' the hollow wall 10 of which is stabilized by radially extending ribs 11 integral therewith. The ribs 11 also stiffen the bottom of the half shells.

I claim:

1. A muscle exercise comprising:

a hollow circular disk-shaped housing provided with an annular hollow enlarged cross-section edge bead surrounding an axis and lying in a plane perpendicular thereto;

a sector shaped weight having an enlarged edge portion received within said housing bead and adapted for traversal around said axis in a circular path within the housing bead; and

means joumaling said weight in said housing for rotation about said axis.

2. The exerciser defined in claim 1 wherein said weight is generally sector-shaped and has a curved edge portion of enlarged cross-section forming a bead segment and received within the bead of said housing, and a connecting portion converging toward said axis and connected to said edge portion.

3. The exerciser defined in claim 2 wherein said housing comprises a pair of housing shells, and means for securing said shells together to completely enclose said weight and said means joumaling said weight in said housing.

4. The exerciser defined in claim 3 wherein the means for securing said shells together includes a pair of members lying along said axis and forming a pivot for said weight.

5. The exerciser defined in claim 3 wherein the means securing said shells together includes an array of snap-fastener elements on said shells along the outer peripheries thereof.

6. The exerciser defined in claim 3 wherein said shells each have pot-shaped central portions adapted to receive a bearing shaft upon which said weight is journaled, and formed internally with a plurality of radially extending ribs. 

1. A muscle exercise comprising: a hollow circular disk-shaped housing provided with an annular hollow enlarged cross-section edge bead surrounding an axis and lying in a plane perpendicular thereto; a sector shaped weight having received within said housing bead and adapted for traversal around said axis in a circular path within the housing bead; and means journaling said weight in said housing for rotation about said axis.
 2. The exerciser defined in claim 1 wherein said weight is generally sector-shaped and has a curved edge portion of enlarged cross-section forming a bead segment and received within the bead of said housing, and a connecting portion converging toward said axis and connected to said edge portion.
 3. The exerciser defined in claim 2 wherein said housing comprises a pair of housing shells, and means for securing said shells together to completely enclose said weight and said means journaling said weight in said housing.
 4. The exerciser defined in claim 3 wherein the means for securing said shells together includes a pair of members lying along said axis and forming a pivot for said weight.
 5. The exerciser defined in claim 3 wherein the means securing said shells together includes an array of snap-fastener elements on said shells along the outer peripheries Thereof.
 6. The exerciser defined in claim 3 wherein said shells each have pot-shaped central portions adapted to receive a bearing shaft upon which said weight is journaled, and formed internally with a plurality of radially extending ribs. 